Santa Clara County — San Jose Downtown Association Plan Bay Area Community-Based Outreach
Outreach area: How will we grow? San Jose, California Participa nts w ere asked to choose a preferred scenario for future growth, with “Planned Future” (labeled “cur - Outreach description: rent Plans”) reflecting adopted MTC and ABAG plans, and “More Urban” and “Most Urban” applying increas - Outreach in April and May 2011 through ingly higher concentrations of housing and development. presentations at neighborhood meetings held at libraries, community centers, and at City Hall in downtown San Jose
Participants: 114 (Note: Not everyone voted in all segments of the outreach.) Planned Most Urban Priority Transportation Investment Strategies Future 37% 39% Participants were given 21 options for investing future transportation funding and asked to select their top six More priorities. Urban Rank Strategy Other 24% 1 Expand commuter rail services 0% (BART, Caltrain, etc.) 2 More transit service to connect housing and jobs Comments Participants who took the survey were asked what one 3 Add more bike paths/bike lanes thing in their neighborhood (and in the Bay Area) they 4 More frequent service on transit routes with would like to see changed, and what one thing they high ridership would most like to keep. Some participants also submit - 5 Widen freeways paid for with existing sources ted general comments on a separate comment card. of funds Below are the most common responses and comments 6 Invest more transportation funds to support in no particular order. cities that build new housing near transit that • Connect the Bay Area by rail more than by bus, is affordable for Bay Area residents with limited income* including connecting BART to San Jose 6 Increase funding for more effective transit • Decrease homelessness, crime, violence, drug services* culture * tie vote • Improve traffic congestion issues • Expand and improve bike lanes Priority Policy Initiatives • Expand parks, trails, dog parks, open space in Participants were given six options for new policies that Santa Clara County could be adopted (at the local, regional, state or federal • Maintain current offerings by local senior centers level) and asked to select their top three. • Create easier access to public transportation Rank Initiative • Expand and create cheaper parking options 1 New requirements for employers (e.g. allow • Maintain the melting pot of Bay Area diversity employees to work from home one day per in San Jose week; allow employees to pay for transit with • Improve current bus options pre-tax dollars, etc.) • Maintain entertainment options and positive 2 Electric vehicles (e.g., subsidize the purchase/ activities in Santa Clara County lease of electric vehicles and hybrids; increase availability of electric vehicle chargers) 3 Economic strategies (e.g., development strate - gies to protect existing jobs, create new jobs, or preserve warehouse/industrial sites) PLAN BAY AREA — SPRING 2011 COMMUNITY-BASED OUTREACH COMMENTS SAN JOSE DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION — DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE Below are all comments received in response to the following two-part question.
QUESTION 4a What is the one thing in your neighborhood or community that you would most like to keep ? What one thing in the Bay Area would you like to keep ?
COMMENT Trees, Creek Trail and Restaurants Re-staff safety programs, police and fire department. Our Evergreen Community Centers are very important to our seniors who have no place to go. And most walk, ride a bike there just so they can get a meal and share an hour or two with friends. Our center also has students that came there after school till parents can pick them up, and our staff is there to keep an eye on them.
Evergreen Community Senior Center. Our community senior center is very important to our seniors tht cannot go any where else or afford to. We would like our Center's Nutrition Center open. Buses and train transportation. More buses and trains -- bring down the prices! Cultural diversity, Easy and close access to recreational open space and trails, undeveloped hills and shore/bay.
Sense of old world community Light rail, BART Community centers Keep the open land open. This is the only open land that San Jose has; any buildings will cause water displacement. No road from Dixon Landing Rd. St. James Park The diversity, not all density but a mixture of all kinds of people or housing MHP, Oakland A's I would like to keep the parks and recreation programs The diversity. The openness to progressive thinking and the secure community for undocumented kids. Keep small time feel. Do not build on the mountains of the city -- greenbelt. Neighborhood: Our fire station, police substation and all of the open land in the Bay Area as a whole. The weather and the people in the community Parks and open spaces, respectively. Green surroundings Open space greenery through our roads Our tax money. All suggestions say increase…perhaps we should reduce. San Jose and Bay Area -- Wonderful melting pot of diverse people. I like that I can walk and bike and to things. I just wish there were more good things to walk and bike to. Community events! Parks, open space Open space areas I would like to keep the dedicated bike lanes Farmers market The number of street ______. I want to keep the people who make up the bay area. Alum Rock Park Racial diversity. Reasonable house prices. Entertainment (theaters, museums, opera) in downtown San Jose Emphasis on high rise condo development -- Santana Row and Valley Fair Our neighborhood community centers and the programs they run: Senior Nutrition Programs, after school programs and all age venues for culture. Good BART service Services and senior programs at the community center at a reasonable cost Quiet Libraries and parks Downtown's walkability Being a relatively safe city! Keep natural beauty e.g., protected hillside reserve. I like the amount of dedicated bike lanes and bike parking. BART.
1 of 5 QUESTION 4a What is the one thing in your neighborhood or community that you would most like to keep ? What one thing in the Bay Area would you like to keep ?
COMMENT Open land Bike lanes Transportation services I don’t like it when we develop our community too much, I would like to keep it nice and simple Integrity of historic neighborhoods while blending in multi family housing Parks. We have nice shops and places to visit Keeping the senior nutrition program as it exists before the July change Please bring it back ASAP. Re-staff safety programs (police & fire departments) Our Evergreen Community Senior Center is very important to our seniors that can not go anywhere else or afford to. We would like our senior nutrition center open. Good schools Libraries Community centers Public services It's beautiful natural environment Parks and libraries Safety De-bug our community center :) Community parks I would like to keep the free music events that go on downtown and the music in the park Valco Mall Light rail The neighborhood bus lines Senior center open Diversity Farmers market and reliable transportation The people and activities The parks and recreation centers. The beautiful scenery with rivers, oceans mountains etc… Bus routes and stops
2 of 5 PLAN BAY AREA — SPRING 2011 COMMUNITY-BASED OUTREACH COMMENTS SAN JOSE DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION — DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE Below are all comments received in response to the following two-part question.
QUESTION 4b What is the one thing in your neighborhood or community that you would most like to change ? What one thing in the Bay Area would you like to change ?
COMMENT I would like more transit routes, more light rail or other rail service that doesn’t have to wait on crossing traffic or is above or below grade. I would like the area to be more connected by rail rather than bus. Have more youth organizations and after school programs We need more jobs that'll boost the economy through small entrepreneurial expansion. In the Bay Area we need more houses to be affordable Better parking and better jobs More housing for the homeless Parking prices Community: Street lights, open fields to parks and festivals Bay Area: Parking (more on streets) I would like to change the bike lanes and the buses Increase health and wellness Expand BART Fix and improve roads I would like to change the airplane routes that fly over the residential area downtown All the permit parking around SJSU I would like to see more art in my community. I see a lot of space that could use some color. Maybe more colorful buildings. More environmental solutions. Affordable solar and alternative energy sources Smaller buses to accommodate ridership. Use of ambulances rather than large fire trucks. Roads are getting more holes. Nicer streets and more programs for the youth and the elderly More parks and open space St. James Park overhaul and clean up; beautification of park. Close San Pedro St. near new market center and create bicycle paths in that area and increase size of sidewalks Downtown San Jose Build more parking facilities for downtown San Jose Public Transit- having one system loop around the bay area. We need modern public transit that is fast, safe and efficient. Public transportation- In general public services Re-districting Better streets Better distribution of good quality business. E.g. restaurants within the Santa Clara county. Evergreen district lags behind in this respect Homeless, graffiti, bulldogs, speeding, traffic, lighting, marijuana clubs and liquor stores None Homeless Have more green space, cleaner neighborhoods. More manufacturing jobs and better schools San Jose DOT attitudes about traffic calming and more importantly being willing to look at other modes of transportation I would like cleaner streets (no littering) and more street cleaning services. I would like there to be more legal walls.
Hmm… more advantages for commuters who use public transportation/bikes Better road repair and bike lanes Better light rail service, better management and funding for public transit Many people would take it if it were cheaper and more convenient Build and get people to use mass transit. Safer bike lanes Traffic signals that respond to bicycles or easy to activate when on a bicycle BART to San Jose airport, BART ringing the whole bay area. For pedestrians: bridges connecting city parks and corridors. More programming in Guadalupe park. Return 10th/11th couplets to two-way Less graffiti. Better control of gang activities- its increased.
3 of 5 QUESTION 4b What is the one thing in your neighborhood or community that you would most like to change ? What one thing in the Bay Area would you like to change ?
COMMENT Traffic, speeding, lighting and liter Creating greater access to public transportation Better public transportation linkage from Silicon Valley and Bay Area cities Improve bus service on weekends Get Bart to San Jose Community policing, over police officer patrolling. Making community members feel ownership protecting their neighborhoods Improve St. James Park and bring BART to downtown San Jose More shopping and less bars and restaurants in Downtown San Jose. More smaller shops like Los Gatos, Saratoga downtown. I like my neighborhood and would like to see one way streets changed to two-way streets. Even better air quality
East San Jose I want new signs around my street I would like more affordable rent More bike lanes and smoother roads Fixture of roads both in small road & freeway I would like better public transit system (routes, frequency) to better encourage ridership More frequent bus service and better bike lanes Traffic congestion The dog parks Plan traffic patterns better -- one way street with lights synchronized to allow steady flow -- is ore fuel efficient if people don’t have to stop at every other intersection I'd like to see downtown San Jose become more vibrant with lots of jobs, resources, retail and cultural opportunities of interest and utilized by professionals and middle class individuals. I'd like to see the recent increases in graffiti and drug dealing under control. I feel less safe and secure in my person and belongings than I did a couple of years ago. Bay Area Wide: More people living near where they work because housing is affordable, city to city bike routes; San Jose: Quit making excuses for reduced services due to poor appropriation of funds- fix pension programs.
City retirement plans- lower the benefit so city does not go bankrupt. Remember Adam Smith- Don't let them vote increase from our train We need more exits from freeways into Capitol Expressway from 101. When developing add more exits from freeway into major corridors Widen highways especially 101 exits into Evergreen Valley exits Increased safety for cyclists. BART around the entire bay Bay Area -- Add use of high speed buses in freeway medians. Community: address homeless issues Would like to see BART encircle the entire bay Make Saint James Park a great place to hang out. Free shuttle to Caltrain station. Connect BART through San Jose. High speed rail station in San Jose Neighborhood: Dedicated police officer 24/7 in Alviso specifically. Bay Area: Traffic Connect BART around the bay Link all transit- light rail/ bus/ BART Lack of community owned establishments and centers for youth Stop the violence More parks and more trails Please remove homeless in the St. James park Being treated better as a district (Alviso) by San Jose such as tree trimming, weeds, dumping of mattresses and junk. Thinking! Limit growth Near by grocery store Bring Bart to Santa Clara County Make historic preservation a priority Garbage and blight: curbside dumping, graffiti tags, abandoned or fire damaged properties. High cost of living, extreme disparity in income vs.. service user and service providers.
4 of 5 QUESTION 4b What is the one thing in your neighborhood or community that you would most like to change ? What one thing in the Bay Area would you like to change ?
COMMENT Note: Unless we reduce taxes and become business friendly this is useless. More bike lanes and training drivers in bicycle safety rules. Less cars on the road especially gas hogs. Senior center keeping the nutrition programs as it is before July change. Please bring it back ASAP. Too much traffic
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